Ice Cream, Soda Pop, Cherry On Top
by Kaiishi
Summary: It's a lazy Saturday and Keiko plays with her long jump rope with her friends. But someone comes to spoil the fun. *Finished, though the ending is a bit abrupt.*
1. Ice Cream, Soda Pop, Cherry On Top

Set when Keiko and Yusuke were 7. Botan makes a cameo appearence and Yuki is my creation.  
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It's a hot day, Keiko though as she and her friends played with the long jump rope in Yuki Sunichi's backyard. Yuki was shy, and after being homeschooled for so many years, it was hard to imagine what going to school for the last semester was terrifying for the girl. Keiko befriended the girl quickly, to relieve Yuki of the burden of doing her work by herself. Yuki had invited them for lemonade and games this morning since it was obvious that they wouldn't be doing anything else this lazy Saturday. Keiko ran into the swinging rope, turned by Yuki and a girl that had come for a visit named Botan. Yuki brushed black hair away from blue eyes with her left hand as her right swung the rope. Some unruly strans of hair blew across her pale face and clung to the corners of her red lips and she chanted.  
"Ice cream, soda pop, cherry on top. Choose your boyfriend give it a shot. A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. I. J. K. L. M. N. O. P. Q. R. S. T. U. V. W. X. Y.-"  
Keiko tripped on the rope, landing ungracefully on the dusty ground.  
"Y, Keiko. Yusuke!"  
Shaking her head, Keiko stood at the sound of her friend's name. "I don't lik-"  
"No, Yusuke's behind you."  
Turning around, Keiko's face turned red as she spotted the 7 year old staring at her from his position leaning against an ash tree, leaves giving the boy some shade from the blazing sun.  
"Yusuke! What are you doing here?"  
"Ahh, it was a boring day. I already picked a fight with Kuwabara, and won, and now there's nothing to do," Yusuke answered evenly, not even seeming to care. He raked a hand through his greased hair, and then wiped the grease off on his green shirt.  
A steady blush seeped onto the brunette's face, maybe from anger at the thought of being a consolation prize, maybe from being adressed by Yusuke, the yakuza that she saw as a friend. Stuttering slightly, she replied indignantly, "So, I'm just something to fill up your time! Humph." She tossed up her nose angrily, closing hazel eyes that burned with anger.  
Yuki giggled at the banter that she knew was unknown flirting between the two. Motioning to Botan, she pulled her inside with the promise of cookies and cold lemonade if she did not disturbed the two.  
Keiko sighed when she realized the boy would not answer and turned to follow her friends inside. But in a show of pure desperation, Yusuke stepped forward and grabbed her wrist. "Um, Keiko. You're not something to fill my time, you're my friend." Yusuke then turned and left, quite aware that the 7 year old girl he had talked to was confused by his words.  
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*grin* Did you like it? Freaky, but....I'm a strange kid. 


	2. The Chinese Wheel

Two years have passed since the day Yusuke confronted Keiko about her being his friend. Everyone is 9 and Yuki has moved away. Botan comes for visits less and less since she's been bombed down with lost spirits that need to get into Reikai.  
  
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"Yusuke-" Keiko started, reaching out a hand to touch the yakuza's shoulder. "St-"  
"I don't need your pity, Keiko," Yusuke answered shrugging off the hand that had touched his shoulder as a sympathetic gesture. "I don't really care if my mom's in the hospital because she drank too much."  
Keiko sighed softly, jerking back her hand. No matter how much you try to hide it, Yusuke, she thought sadly, you do care about your mother. Turning on the heel of her prim black shoes, skirts swirling, she left Yusuke in the dim of the boy and his mother's apartment. She fancied hearing the soft 'pitter, patter' of water hitting the ground, but she brushed it off as her imagination.  
But it wasn't her imagination, Yusuke Urameshi, the tough 4th grader that could whoop any older classman was crying, knees curled up to his chest. What am I crying about, Yusuke questioned himself. It's not like I didn't know it was gonna happen. The tears fell faster and he pushed his knee caps into his eyes. "I don't need her, I can handle myself. Ahh, what am I saying. She's my mom, even though she doesn't care." He dug his nails into the sensitive flesh of his lower legs.  
  
  
Two days had passed since Yusuke's mom had been rushed to the hospital for over drinking and the 9 year old was back to his cocky self. The only difference was that the boy actually accepted Kuwabara's challenges and whooped the other boy's butt much harder than he used to. Keiko was still worried about Yusuke being alone in that apartment and had invited him over many times, only to have her invitations refused repeatedly.  
Keiko was once again playing with a jump rope, but this time it was a short rope and she was sharing it with Botan who had finally escaped her responsibilities to come and play. Botan had brought another short rope and they decided to do the Chinese Wheel. Botan and Keiko were too out of sinc to do it well, and Botan had to leave back to Reikai.  
Yusuke had been passing by and, having spotted Keiko, decided to watch. Nearly laughing at how many times one or both of them tripped, Yusuke had bidded his time, hoping that Botan would leave so he could talk to Keiko. His chance was soon given.  
Stepping forward with courage that masked his cowardice, Yusuke put a hand on Keiko's shoulder. And, startled by the contact, Keiko turned around, hand raised to slap him. Yusuke braced himself for the tingling sense of burning that he was sure would spread through one of his cheeks soon and opened his eyes slowly had he realized he neither felt the burning pain or hear the soft 'swish' that Keiko's hand would have made as if careened through the air.  
Keiko had instead hugged Yusuke tightly, face buried into the boy's shoulder. "Y-Yusuke, wh-where have y-you been?"  
  
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I'll leave you hanging..... 


	3. Baseball And Jump Rope Don't Mix

Death-Wing: They like it!  
Chibi Kouji: *backs away* I re-  
Death-Wing: *holds up his D-Scanner*  
Chibi Kouji: Shoot *sighs and holds up a sign with a picture of a girl with shoulder length black hair with demon wings with 'I rock!' written underneath the picture in red cursive*  
Death-Wing: Good boy.  
Chibi Kouji: *hold up another sign that has a boy with long black hair in a ponytail with 'But I'm better!' written underneath the picture in blue print*  
Death-Wing: -.-''  
  
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Yusuke opened his mouth to answer Keiko's inquiry but was silenced by a finger on his lips. "Don't Yusuke," Keiko whispered, words muffled by the fabric that covered Yusuke's shoulder. "You'll ruin the moment."  
  
Sighing softly, he gently patted Keiko's back with his calloused hand. His gentleness surprised Keiko, since the nine year old was a well known punk, but brushed it off, wanting to enjoy the tenderness while it lasted. "Sorry Keiko. I just couldn't work up the courage to apologize for how I acted a couple of days ago," he whispered, afraid to invoke her anger if he spoke any louder.  
  
"It's okay, Yusuke. But, so I know you're really sorry, you're going to do the Chinese Wheel with me," Keiko answered, looking up at Yusuke's face, hazel eyes glimmering with still unshed tears.  
  
Surprised by the request, Yusuke looked down at Keiko's face, and saw the spark of deviousness in her eyes. Shaking his head rapidly, the boy struggled to get out of Keiko's grasp. "It'll ruin my rep, Keiko. I'm sorry and all, but jump rope is a bit below me."  
  
Keiko easily grabbed the back of Yusuke's shirt, dragging him to where the jump ropes had been left. "Unless you want me to slap you, you will do the Chinese Wheel with me," she said simply, eyes closed in irritation as she dragged the struggling Yusuke.  
  
Giving up, Yusuke let himself be dragged to the ropes and be shown the way to do the Chinese Wheel. Nodding with understanding, he glanced around, hoping that no one was around to see him play with the girl that he had developed a small crush on through the years. Spotting a shock of orange hair, he gulped, hoping it wasn't Kuwabara.  
  
Unfortunately it was. Kuwabara all but burst out laughing at the sight of Yusuke with Keiko. "I knew you like her, Urameshi," the boy teased, forgetting in a moment of smugness that Yusuke could and would attack him at the slightest teasing.  
  
The boy dropped the jump rope and jumped onto Kuwabara, curses that a boy his age shouldn't know flying from his mouth. Keiko, distressed by the show of aggressiveness that was Yusuke and for Kuwabara's safety, looked around for something that would knock some sense into Yusuke. Spotting a discarded baseball bat, she grabbed it and ran after the tangle of limbs that was Kuwabara and his assailent. Taking a chance, the girl brought the bat down onto the tangled mess and hit Yusuke's head. Wincing at the sickening crack the followed the contact, she dropped the bat in a moment of horror. Her act had done more than she wanted it to.  
  
Kuwabara distangled himself from the unconscious boy, turning to Keiko to thank her before spotting the horror stricken look on her face. Following her horrofied gaze, he spotted a large bleeding wound in the side of Yusuke's head. "U-Urameshi?" he asked, eyes going wide at the sight of the blood gushing from Yusuke's head. Grabbing the other boy's shoulders when he didn't receive an answer, he was about to shake the other 9 year old until a trembling hand on his wrist stopped him.  
  
  
  
Keiko and Kuwabara had rushed Yusuke to the hospital where he was put in the Emergency Room. Both were questioned about how Yusuke was hit on the head, and they told the story, ashamed that something as simple as a street fight had resulted in the boy being put in Intensive Care.  
  
After 3 restless hours in the lobby, they were allowed to see the bed-ridden Yusuke. The boy was pale from bloodloss and looked vulnerable by the way how he was dociling staying in bed. As Keiko reached out a hand to touch the bandage, Yusuke opened chocolate eyes. "Wha-? What happened? Where am I? Keiko? Kuwabara?"  
  
Keiko jerked back her hand when she saw Yusuke's eyes open. "I-I didn't..I didn't mea-mean t-to, Y-Yusuke," Keiko apologized incoherently, wringing her hands, eyes downcast.  
  
"What happened?" Yusuke snarled, sitting up so fast that his head spun. Puting a hand to his head, he glared at the two next to his bedside. "Well?"  
  
Keiko kept her eyes downcast and Yusuke got out of bed. Clinging to the wall, Yusuke went over to the chair that his clothes had been thrown onto. "Fine, don't tell me." Grabbing his clothes, he slipped into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. The boy came out in jeans and a green shirt, before heading to the door. Keiko made a move to stop him but Kuwabara held her back, shaking his head. The yakuza was permitted to leave the hospital and was tailed silently by the two that had cause his hospitalization.  
  
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Ahh, lovers' tift. Wonder what'll happen.......... 


	4. Love's Blooming

Death-Wing: Keiko acted on desperation, including she was nine. Don't say you never did anything unexpected from desperation.  
  
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Kuwabara drifted away from Keiko and Yusuke, heading to his own place, giving Keiko the opening she needed to apologize. "Yu-"  
  
"It's okay."  
  
"Huh?" Keiko's eyes widened in surprised. "Bu-but the way you were acting..You-"  
  
"How can I be angry when you gave me a reason to miss school?" he joked, grinning teasingly at her.  
  
"Oh, Yusuke." Keiko slapped his shoulder lightly, mock glaring at the boy.  
  
"Hey, hey. I might need that shoulder."  
  
"Humph, that won't hurt you like what happened to your head.  
  
They joked on their way back to their homes, laughing and talking in a way that signified that what they felt was more than friendship. But they never realized until they were older, when Keiko no longer played with jump ropes and Yusuke was known as the worst punk in Sarayashiki Junior High.  
  
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End file.
